Whether it’s Internet, cable television or wireless smartphone plans, Canadians almost always have to deal with ridiculously high monthly bills.

A recent report released by the CRTC found that Canadians are actually moving up in the world when it comes to Internet speeds and costs. Instead of being the slowest and most expensive, we’re now among the fastest with middle-of-the-road fees. The biggest complaint most Canadians have is our absurdly low data caps (how much we’re allowed to download and upload each month).

At one point, Netflix’s chief content officer, Ted Sarandos, even said: “It’s almost a human rights violation what they’re charging for Internet access in Canada … they have almost Third World access to the Internet.”

But when you add cable television bills, cellphone bills and Internet bills together, we could all use some relief. What if you want to pay less? Like, a lot less? Most providers in Canada have a sticker price, but then they also have the special price for people who complain a lot, or threaten to jump ship.

That discount is surprisingly easy to get. Here’s how you pull it off.

Be friendly

Call centre employees are people too. Don’t forget that.

People often forget that customer service representatives at big telco companies are people, too. They aren’t mindless drones or automatically recorded voice messages. They have feelings just like you and me.

Calling, explaining your current situation in a calm but firm and friendly tone, will get you much farther than yelling at the top of your lungs like a lunatic. Also, it helps if you try to put yourself in their shoes.

“Be nice to employees. They look at your history, how long you’ve been with the company,” said a former Rogers call centre representatives I spoke with.

Would you be willing to go out of your way to lower someone’s monthly bill if they just spent the last five minutes verbally assaulting you? Probably not.

Also, many people might not realize it, but big cellphone and internet providers keep a record of customer interactions. If you’ve called and not been very nice in the past, odds are there is a little note on your file and the new representative you’re speaking to will be ready for a verbal attack before you’ve even explained your situation.

Be friendly, be courteous, and discounts are more likely to come your way.

Bundle up

Rogers has a bundle program called ‘Better Choice Bundles.’

According to the reps that I spoke with, bundles aren’t always a scam like many consumers often assume. In the case of Bell and Rogers, bundling two or more services actually lowers the cost of unlimited internet from $30 extra per month to only $10.

“Like, for internet or cable, 25% off for a year or free a PVR HD box… That sort of stuff”

Check out your services and take a look at what bundle options your provider offers. If you have more than one service with a major wireless provider, odds are you should be able to receive some sort of discount.

The key is to make sure you mention the word bundle. They’re not packages that will be offered out of the blue, you have to ask for it most of the time.

See if you can get more

Always see if you can get a better deal.

When you finally get a deal of some sort, see if there is a way you can receive an even better discount. Just like in any bargaining situation, customer service representatives, even those in special customer retention departments, often start with an offer that is way below the limit of what they’re actually able to hand out.

You can also use bundles as bargaining chips in your court. Thinking of bringing your cellphone over from another provider? Discount, please! They can really make it worth your while to switch.

A few of the reps I spoke with explained that they’ve seen deals, depending on the type of service or package, that offer discounts as high as 50 per cent off for three years. If the rep can’t provide a deal that you’re satisfied with, ask if you can speak to their supervisor. Supervisors tends to have significantly more power when it comes to adjusting your monthly billing rate.

There isn’t even a point in trying to get a discount from a customer service representative at an actual store

If you get this far, be sure to mention specific packages that other providers are offering, making it sound like you’re tempted by them. Calling Rogers, for example, you could mention an offer from Bell that you’ve been looking at. Some deals are offered only as counter-offers to the competition’s marketing moves. You can get some sweet deals just by dropping in those keywords.

“I’ve seen people with 50 per cent off for like three years,” explained the Rogers customer service representative I spoke with.

But not all reps you speak to on the phone may be as capable of helping. During busy hours, some firms employ third-party companies to help field customer service calls.

If you’re the unlucky recipient of a third-party customer service rep, then it might be a good idea to just call back later.

“Third party reps have less power and don’t really know what they’re doing anyway,” our Rogers rep said.

Check out the alternatives

Teksavvy is a great alternative to big internet providers.

In general, if you’re a long-time customer, or if your contract is about to end, you’ll have more ability to get some sort of deal out of customer service representatives. But if you’re at the beginning of a contract and are tied to them, they’re less likely to help you out.

This is when it might make sense to legitimately check out the competition, and see how they might be willing to attract your business.

Most consumers might not realize it, but there are other wireless providers out there that aren’t Rogers or Bell. For instance, Teksavvy has actually been offering unlimited internet packages for years now.

The increasing popularity of third-party internet providers like Teksavvy , Acanac and Distributel, probably played a large role in Rogers and Bell’s decision to start offering reasonable priced unlimited Internet packages.

Also, as a side note, according to a former Rogers store employee I spoke with, there isn’t even a point in trying to get a discount from a customer service representative at an actual store. They have far less power than call centre customer care employees. As a policy, they’re actually told to tell customers seeking discounts to call call their customer care department.

So there you have it: Call, bargain, bargain again, and be a lovely courteous human being while you do it.